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Fishing in New Jersey

Click a region to explore top fishing spots, species, and local tips.

New Jersey offers diverse fishing from the Kittatinny Mountains to the Jersey Shore. The Delaware River provides world-class shad and smallmouth bass fishing, the Pine Barrens offer unique waters for chain pickerel and largemouth bass, and the Atlantic coastline provides surf fishing for striped bass, bluefish, and fluke. The Garden State has over 400 publicly accessible lakes and ponds and 1,800 miles of trout streams.

Topographic map — click to view full size

North Jersey & Highlands

Round Valley Reservoir, Wanaque Reservoir, Greenwood Lake -- Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Walleye

Central Jersey & Shore

Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook, Manasquan Reservoir -- Striped Bass, Bluefish, Largemouth Bass, Fluke, Crappie

Pine Barrens & South Jersey

Mullica River, Batsto River, Wading River -- Chain Pickerel, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Perch

Delaware River Region

Delaware River, Delaware Bay, Salem River -- Striped Bass, American Shad, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, White Perch

Jersey Shore Bays & Inlets

Barnegat Bay, Cape May, Atlantic City -- Fluke, Weakfish, Bluefish, Striped Bass, Black Drum